Live in Pattaya

Do you want to Become an Expat Retiree for the Right Reasons? Featured

Joe Lizzerd wants our potential customers and clients to be happy in their new home in Pattaya, so we encourage our readers to carefully consider your reasons for wanting to retire overseas

If any one or more of the following conditions apply to you, then by all means, start making plans now.

You have a fascination for foreign cultures and faraway lands, a curiosity that cannot be satisfied any longer by watching others live your life on National Geographic and the Discovery Channels.

Your curiosity has been aroused sufficiently that you are ready to have a tearful separation at the airport, after a final farewell dinner with all your loved ones who are questioning your very sanity, and not having any plans to return in the near future.

You have a willingness to at least learn the basics of another language, to avoid the classic “ugly American” syndrome, where you stand in front of a counter trying to buy something, while getting more and more frustrated at the person trying to help you, and rising your voice more and more, thinking that a higher decibel level will improve your chances of being understood.

You want to experience totally foreign concepts of transportation, such as using public transport and walking more than a few blocks to the nearest store, where…

You enjoy the challenge of learning what’s what on the store shelves, your familiar old brand names having been replaced by new and unknown products and brands. Some everyday items that you may be familiar with and think you must have may not be available.

You have a sense of adventure, not just for seeking out a new home, but also for eating strange culinary offerings in restaurants, market stands, and occasionally on the street. Many of the items you find on a menu will be unfamiliar to you, leaving you somewhat at the mercy of fate when you order a meal.

You have an open mind when entering your new surroundings. Remember that the way it is done in your former home country may be different; sometimes better, sometimes worse, but rarely the same. I am talking about your basics here: plumbing, electricity, telephones, internet and transportation infrastructure just to touch on a few of the issues that will affect you the most.

You are self-sufficient, and not completely dependent on having a maid, gardener, and driver.

Depending on your living circumstances, you may need to think about how this might set you apart in your community right from the get-go, exposing you and possibly making you a target for crime. While it is usually Ok to have a maid or gardener come by a few times a week, I do not recommend providing full time live-in employment to several of the less fortunate neighbors and paying them twice the going rate to gain their loyalty.

You relish everything about being in a foreign country, with all of its foreign customs, language, eating habits, holidays, and rhythms of life. You will of course need to get used to the metric system for everything from cooking to measuring distance.

And lastly, rather than doing what is frowned on in your home country, you plan to assimilate into the culture of the place you have chosen to live in. Hook up with other expats to network with, but don’t allow yourself to become dependent on them. Try to cultivate friendships with local people other than the ones you employ. Join in community activities. Engage, pay attention to what the locals wear and do, and consider not sporting your Rolex Presidential wherever you go. In other words, be respectful, nice to people, and don’t forget to use common sense.